Garlands are in essence, decorative ropes formed of natural and/or artificial foliage by sequentially stacking bunches of foliage in overlapping relation along a core line (cord or wire) and spiral wrapping the foliage with a binding line (wire or cord) to bind the foliage together and to the core. The foliage will normally range in length from 12 to about 36 inches with exposed stems of about 6 inches in length. As indicated, the foliage may be, whole or in part, fresh-cut, dried or artificial.
The garlands are typically made as decorative ornamentation used for weddings and parties and as house and office decoration during the Christmas holidays. Seasonal evergreens are the most widely used foliage.
The major problem with the garland is the cost of its assembly which has been a cumbersome hand operation. Formation of garlands have eluded mechanization.
Typically, the core line is laid along a work surface such as a table top and bunches of foliage serially laid along the core in overlapping relation. As foliage is progressively added to the core, the binding line is spirally wrapped around the added bunches of foliage binding them to one another and the core.
Given the cumbersome operation, production is at a rate limited to about 1 foot every 3 or more minutes. Real time is longer due to the fatigue involved in the assembly process and rest periods which must be taken.
It would be desirable to have a device which would enable a more rapid production of garlands in a trouble free fashion and this is the subject matter of the instant invention.